Some leaders say wedge between Govt-public has widened
OPD will start at AIIMS in next 15 days
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 7: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda today said that no doubt has been left after the recent announcement of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in Srinagar that Assembly elections will be held in J&K UT in time.
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“There should be no doubt in this regard as PM has shown his Government’s commitment on holding of Assembly poll in UT of J&K during his recent statement in Srinagar where he had visited in connection with International Yoga Day celebrations,” said J P Nadda while addressing a meeting of former Ministers and ex Legislators at Party Headquarters here this morning.
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He said Prime Minister’s word is final in this regard and nobody is above him so no one should have any doubt in this regard.
In response to a query raised by some party men that the PM did not make any mention about the Assembly poll of J&K in Parliament recently while announcing that the Assembly elections will be held in three States of the country this year, Nadda said this does not mean that Assembly poll will not be held in J&K. The J&K is under Central rule and Assembly poll are due here to which Government has reiterated its commitment, time and again, he added.
Stressing on mobilization on booth level, Nadda asked his party cadre to reach out to all communities for ensuring their full support in the coming elections.
Nadda, who is on two days visit of Jammu region and participated in party’s Extended State Executive meeting at Mishriwala near here yesterday, was addressing a meeting of ex Legislators and ex Ministers at party Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar today which was preceeded by Core Group meeting of BJP last night.
According to sources, the BJP national president sought the feedback from all UT leaders of the party on holding of elections in the J&K. He said that party men have to go to masses and maintain a complete liaison with people irrespective of their religion, race, region, caste and creed. `”Till we will not approach the people we can’t expect support from them”, Nadda told party men in the meeting, sources said.
National general secretary BJP, Tarun Chugh, Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, co incharge J&K, Ashish Sood, senior BJP leaders from J&K including party UT president, Ravinder Raina, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP (RS) Gulam Ali Khatana, party general secretary, (org) Ashok Koul, general secretaries, Dr D K Manyal, Sunil Sharma and Vibodh Gupta besides all former Ministers legislators were present in the meeting.
Sources said Nadda asked party men that instead of striving hard to become legislators they should try to become public leaders and win hearts of the people. “Once you become the public leaders having the mass base you will automatically become the MLAs and MPs”, he added.
Sources said BJP president quoted an example in this regard that recently one sitting MP had submitted him a resignation from the party but he rejected it on the ground that he had a strong mass base and he was in a position to win the election as Independent candidate also. So every party man should work for the masses to emerge as the public leader instead of hankering for mandate to become the legislator, he added.
“You should not be bothered that who is given ticket and who not. This is the secondary question but you have to remain among the masses. The party seeing your work and dedication will definitely give you the credit for that”, said Nadda to party leaders.
Nadda said it is true that people being elected from rural belt should not lose contact with their voters and shift to cities. He said “I have also told this in my home State to the party men that those leaders representing rural and far-flung areas should remain in their localities and not reside in Shimla and other cities as this creates a wedge between party and masses,” he added.
He asked the party men to concentrate on those areas where party could not fare well in last Lok Sabha poll and see what are the shortcomings. “Meet every section of society in these areas and apprise them of party policies and programmes,. When we will go to people maintain contact with them why will not they vote for us but one thing should be kept in mind that you should not tell a lie to them,” he added.
Sources said some senior leaders while giving feedback to BJP national president said that the situation was opportune for holding elections in the UT while the juniors expressed their reservations saying that the situation in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are not alike and the issues are also different in Assembly and Lok Sabha poll.
One of the former legislator gave an example of Delhi elections saying in Parliament BJP emerged victorious in Delhi while in Assembly it lost.
One former Minister said that people have no problem with the party but they have problem with us (leaders). He said “some senior leaders have been sidelined and those having no base given important positions”.
Some former Legislators were also of the opinion that the gap between public and Government has widened and people’s problems are compounding day by day and they feel totally disconnected and alienated.
In the Core Group meeting last night, Nadda also urged party men to prepare themselves for Assembly, ULB and Panchayat elections by holding booth level meetings and fast track election preparedness.
Some Core Group members from Kashmir urged Nadda that party should also concentrate on Kashmir and in case BJP High Command shows seriousness the party can win at least 10 seats from Valley but it needs to do hard work for that.
The Core Group meeting was attended by Dr Jitendra Singh, Tarun Chugh, Ashish Sood, Ravinder Raina, Jugal Kishore Sharma (MP) Gulam Ali Khatana, MP, (RS), national secretary , Dr Narinder Singh, Ashok Koul, general secretary (Org), Sunil Sethi chief spokesperson BJP, former Dy CMs, Dr Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, general secretaries, Dr Devender Manyal, Vibodh Gupta, Sunil Sharma, ex MLA, Devender Rana, BJP spokesperson , Ajay Bharti, Wakf Board Chairperson, Dr Darkshan Andrabi and National Executive Member, Rafiq Wani.
Earlier, Union Minister paid obeisance at historic Raghunath Mandir here in the morning.
Accompanied by Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh and BJP national general secretary, in charge J&K and Ladakh UTs Tarun Chugh, Nadda was received at the temple by party leaders including MP Jugal Kishroe Sharma and former Minister, Priya Sethi.
Later Nadda along with Dr Jitendra Singh during his visit to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Vijaypur said that the OPD in the institute will start within 15 days and it will be one of the prime institutes of the country.
Union Minister was accompanied by his Ministerial colleague, Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP national general secretary, Tarun Chugh, BJP UT president, Ravinder Raina and other senior officers.
The Out-Patient Department (OPD) services will start at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vijaypur along with other facilities within a fortnight, Nadda said.
He inspected the Vijaypur campus of the AIIMS and reviewed its facilities and infrastructure, expressing hope that no patient of Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining areas of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will have to go to PGI Chandigarh or Delhi for treatment anymore.
“This is my first visit to AIIMS Vijaypur after Prime Minister, Narendra Modi assigned me the Health Ministry. I inspected the facilities and was given a presentation. I tried to know how AIIMS is progressing and I want to congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu for having one of the best health institutions with facilities, infrastructure, equipment, appliances and logistics at par with world standards,” the Health Minister told reporters.
Nadda, said given the inspection and discussion with the hospital authorities, the OPD services along with other facilities will start within a fortnight.
“The faculty recruitment is going on at a very fast pace and our attempt is to provide the best faculty. Some best doctors and professors have already joined,” he said, adding a hospital like AIIMS requires at least a decade to grow to its full potential.
Seeking cooperation of the people, he said the AIIMS Vijaypur is a gift of the Prime Minister to the people of Jammu.
He said Prime Minister, Modi inaugurated the AIIMS, Jammu in February this year and presently four batches of medical students are getting education at the institute.
“The first batch started with 50 students and the second and third with 62 students each, while the fourth batch comprises 100 students,” he said.
Earlier, addressing a gathering including students, Nadda said with the operationalisation of the AIIMS Jammu, no patient of Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining Punjab and Himachal will need to go to PGI Chandigarh or Delhi for treatment.
The patients will now be treated in this institute, he said, asking the doctors to ensure that the benefits of the Government schemes like Ayushman Bharat reaches to the common citizens.
He said the Government is also planning to digitalize the health records in the country and “we are moving in that direction”.
Nadda said the people of the country have a lot of “expectations and aspirations from all of us and we have to fulfill all these to their satisfaction”, Director AIIMS, Dr Shakti Gupta briefed the Minister about the facilities at the Institute.
He also visited the residence of former Minister and senior BJP leader Chander Parkash Ganga and addressed party men there.
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